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{{Short description|Village in Staffordshire, England}}
{{distinguish|Rochester (disambiguation){{!}}Rochester}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country =                 England
|official_name=             Rocester
|coordinates = {{coord|52.951|-1.838|display=inline,title}}
|population =              1,700
|population_ref=           (2011)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11127974&c=Rocester&d=16&e=62&g=6463216&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1449412731351&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=6 December 2015}}</ref>
|shire_district=          [[East Staffordshire]]
| shire_county =            [[Staffordshire]]
|region=            West Midlands
|constituency_westminster=      [[Burton (UK Parliament constituency)|Burton]]
|post_town=        UTTOXETER
|postcode_district =       ST14
|postcode_area=            ST
|dial_code=      01889
|os_grid_reference=     SK109393
|static_image_name = Rocester_Church_2.jpg
|static_image_caption = St Michael's Church, Rocester
}}
'''Rocester''' {{IPAc-en|audio=En-rocester.ogg|ˈ|r|oʊ|s|t|ər}} is a village and [[civil parish]] in the [[East Staffordshire]] district of [[Staffordshire]], England. Its name is spelt ''Rowcestre'' in the [[Domesday Book]]. It is located on the [[Derbyshire]] border.

==Geography==
The village is about {{convert|4|mi}} north of [[Uttoxeter]] and {{convert|8.5|mi}} southwest of [[Ashbourne, Derbyshire|Ashbourne]], situated on the county border with [[Derbyshire]].  According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,431.  The village lies on a triangle of land between the [[River Churnet]] and [[River Dove, Derbyshire|River Dove]], which join to the south. The parish borders, from the south going clockwise, the parishes of [[Uttoxeter Rural]], [[Croxden]], [[Denstone]], [[Ellastone]], all in East Staffordshire, and then [[Norbury and Roston]], [[Marston Montgomery]] and [[Doveridge]], all in the [[Derbyshire Dales]] district of Derbyshire.

==History==
A [[Roman Empire|Roman]] fort was founded on the site in about 69 AD, as an intermediate point between [[Derby]] and [[Newcastle-under-Lyme]] on a route later known as [[The Long Lane (Derbyshire)|Long Lane]].<ref>[[Ivan Donald Margary]], ''Roman Roads in Britain''. 3rd ed. London: John Baker, 1973. {{ISBN|0-212-97001-1}}</ref> The remains of the earthworks can still be seen. After the Romans departed in about 400 AD, the village remained in use by the [[Anglo-Saxons]] throughout the [[Middle Ages]].

In 1141 the [[Rocester Abbey|St Mary's Augustinian Abbey]] was built on the site now known as Abbey Fields. The order was disbanded in 1538; the abbey and its chapel were demolished and a manor house was built on the site.

The village church, St Michael's, was constructed in the 13th century. It was mostly rebuilt in 1873, although the tower is the original.<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1231919 Church of St Michael] Historic England. Retrieved 22 October 2017.</ref>

In 1781 [[Richard Arkwright]] bought an old corn mill on the River Dove and converted it to a water-powered cotton mill. This introduced industry to a predominantly agricultural community. With industry came the canal and railway networks, and Rocester became an important trading point. The mill was a great driving force in the expansion of the village; its owners were responsible for much building in the village. The mill has now been converted into the [[JCB Academy]].

On 1 August 1849 [[Rocester railway station]] was opened by the [[North Staffordshire Railway]] and closed on 4 January 1965.

==Modern times==
[[File:JCB factory Rocester by-Simon-Ledingham.jpg|thumb|[[J. C. Bamford|JCB]] site at Rocester]]
[[File:Digger-man - geograph.org.uk - 397018.jpg|thumb|''The Fossor'', at the JCB headquarters]]
The mill remained the primary employer until the 1950s, and finally closed in 1985. By this time another major employer had arrived in the village, [[J. C. Bamford|JCB]]. The present factory, on the site of the original 1950s factory, was opened in 1970 and is the world headquarters for the company.

There are a number of sculptures around the JCB site and landscaped parkland nearby. Most significant of these is '''The Fossor''', which takes its name from the [[Latin]] ''fossor'' i.e. digger.  The steel sculpture, created by [[Walenty Pytel]], is made entirely of digger parts and is a powerful representation of JCB.<ref>''Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country'', George T. Noszlopy and Fiona Waterhouse, 2005, {{ISBN|0-85323-989-4}}</ref> It weighs 36 tonnes, stands {{cvt|45|ft}} high and was the largest steel sculpture in Europe at the time of its creation in 1979. It can be seen from the B5030 road that passes it.

The village has several businesses, a school, a pre-school and a church. Rocester is home to the football team [[Rocester F.C.]]

Rocester lies on the [[Staffordshire Way]], and is the southern terminus of the [[Limestone Way]], a footpath which runs {{convert|46|mi}} north to [[Castleton, Derbyshire|Castleton]] in the [[Peak District]].

== Notable people ==
* [[Elizabeth Trentham, Countess of Oxford]] (born in Rocester, died 1612), the second wife of the Elizabethan courtier and poet [[Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford]]
* [[Winifred, Lady Strickland]] (1645–1725), a member of the Jacobite court in exile, baptised at Rocester
* [[M. J. B. Baddeley]] (1843–1906), a distinguished English guidebook writer, his guide to the Lake District was first published in 1880 and remained in print to least 1978.  
* [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier-General]] [[Charles Lyon]], CB CMG DSO (1878 at The Lodge, Rocester – 1959), soldier who also played first-class cricket for Derbyshire in 1902. 
* [[Graeme Edge]] (1941–2021), musician, songwriter, poet, drummer and one of the songwriters for [[the Moody Blues]]
* [[John Hall (Archdeacon of Salop)|John Hall]] (born 1941), Vicar of Rocester 1988–1998, [[Archdeacon of Salop]] 1998-2011  

=== Sport ===
* [[George Harris (footballer, born 1877)|George Harris]] (born 1877), footballer, played 23 games for [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]].
* [[Peter Swanwick (cricketer)|Peter Swanwick]] (born 1945), a former cricketer, played one game for Staffordshire
* [[Ryan Boot]] (born 1994),  footballer, played 23 pro games for [[Port Vale F.C.]] and 193 for [[Solihull Moors F.C.]]

==See also==
*[[Listed buildings in Rocester]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Rocester}}
*[http://www.denholmes.com Rocester Photography] A Rocester photo site
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928140136/http://www.rocester.net/ Rocester]}} The community website
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051122181355/http://www.roman-britain.org/places/rocester.htm Rocester : Roman Fort and Town]

{{Civil Parishes of East Stafford}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Staffordshire]]
[[Category:Borough of East Staffordshire]]